At various points since the death of Karl Marx in 1883 his work has been regarded as a dead issue, no longer relevant, too ideological, and too rooted in the nineteenth century. But in reality, there has always been a resurgence of interest in Marx’s ideas, as every new generation tries to make sense of the tough and often cruel social conditions in which they find themselves. Marx’s insights of the 19th century still offer interesting ways to think about the 21st. What is it that reading Marx can teach us today and what is it that we have to do for ourselves to understand the world around us?